Apple has admitted for the first time that it actively pursued buying 5G modems from major component makers for its 2019 iPhone range.
While key Android manufacturers have already revealed that they plan to launch 5G devices this year, reports have long suggested that Apple will wait until 2020 to bring 5G to the iPhone.
However, speaking during at a trial to solve Apple’s long–running legal dispute with chipmaker Qualcomm, Apple’s supply chain boss Tony Blevins confirmed that his company had spoken with Samsung, MediaTek and Intel about using their 5G chips in this year’s iPhone line-up.
Blevins did not elucidate as to whether Apple would release a 5G iPhone this year, but the news has got tech watchers excited as the next–generation infrastructure edges closer to launch.
Samsung has already teased plans to bring 5G to its forthcoming Galaxy S10, with EE likely to offer such a device on its imminent new 5G network.
Meanwhile, OnePlus and Huawei are also plotting 5G handsets, with all the major UK networks hoping to bring their updated infrastructure online by the end of the year.
A 5G iPhone would likely be an even more costly proposition than the current range, with prices above £1,500 for premium models.
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